25th June 2008
After packing everything and confirmed the route to Gold Coast Coolangatta Airport, here I start my way home!
Ok, for those who don't know what I'm talking about, I'm going back Ipoh la!! haha! but I'm going back alone by Air Asia. so i'm going to the airport in Gold Coast. As i'm taking a morning flight, 0840am, i have to go to Gold Coast the night before planning to stay overnight in the airport. I've asked friends to help me to check and everyone told me the airport will be opening 24hours. So it should be no problem lo!
According to the Translink website and friends' advice, I think it should be no problem, after all, it is Australia, should be quite safe. I start my journey to the airport by taking a bus from my house to Toowong Train Station, then to the Central Train Station and to Robina Train Station. The name is not important for those who are not going, as there is no point knowing those names, but it took me more than an hour to reach Robina Train Station (which is the last station of the Gold Coast line).
Yes, i'm travelling alone from Zone 1 of Queensland to Zone 18!! haha, quite geng also lo! The story does not end here...
From Robina train station, I have to take another bus to the airport... After a long waiting, finally the bus arrived. Since i'm alone and it is my 1st time going to the airport, i asked the bus driver to tell me when we reached the stop and he promised me, so i just sat and waited him to tell me to get off the bus...what to do? i knew nothing about the place and everywhere was so dark~~ not to mention a few scary and drunk looking guys in the bus shouting as if it was their car..
After more than half an hour in the bus, the bus driver suddenly asked the passengers in the bus
'anyone rushing to get home?'
but no one answer him, then he turned into a very dark street turning here and there. Before i noticed where is he trying to go, i realised he went to the stop before he asked that question. Rupa-rupanya he forgot to tell me it was the stop... @_@|||Anyway, i forgave him...he told me to walk straight to the street not far away and I will get to the airport. After bidding bye and thanking him, i get off the bus and stood alone in the dark street... My senior said there should be a shuttle van that will fetch me to the airport but i decided not to wait for it.
Firstly, i'm not sure when will the van come, not even sure that is there any van at that time, it was almost 9pm.
Secondly, i really think that standing in the dark alone is not a good idea, especially when there is a motel next to the bus stop.
So, i bravely walk to the opposite street and i saw the below:
Though i'm not sure how far it is and how to go, at least i know i'm near... then i saw some other signs and shops (which were closed at that time).
ya right, the place was big and i really didn't know how to walk to my destination. Thank to my luck, i saw a few workers were fixing the lamp posts or whatever, i asked them how can i go to the airport. The kind man told me just walk across the road and walk straight down, i would reach. However there is no real path for me to walk, i can just walk on the grass, this is quite unfortunate when i'm carrying a big luggage with me. Well, my mood is not too bad, as i know i've reached, finally...and i saw the long road (i will not say it is long if i ever know what i will be going through later..):
and the sign, which makes me feel happier.
I continue walking until i saw this sign and some departure halls for different flights, separating according to domestic flight or international flight. I still have to continue walking as i still haven found the check in counter for Air Asia..
Finally!!!! I saw the sign Terminal 2 and Air Asia X! yeah!!
I'm so relieved and happy when i finally reached there, thinking that i can sit down and have a good rest waiting for my flight on the next day. Sounds so perfect, right?
但事实往往事与愿违~~
I asked the airport staff when can i check in and from our conversation, she is so shocked that i'm planning to stay there overnight. She told me a news that i feel like fainting right on the spot in front of her.The Airport is CLOSING by 11pm!!!
WHAT?????!!!!
WHAT?????!!!!
Then where am i going?
The kind staff asked me to go the backpackers nearby, stayed for a night and returned to the airport on the next morning, well, what to do? that's the only way i can do....
so, i went to the guard (as suggested by the staffs) and told him about that, hoping that he can find a cab for me...then he told me it is very easy to go there, and it would just be 6-7 minutes walk.
'Just follow the fence, turn left at the corner and walk straight, then you will reach.'
Carrying a big luggage, and a bag pack with my laptop inside, I walked to the backpackers in dark alone!
That's not the point, the point is I found out that i'm lost..
I walked along the fence, walk past a field to a straight LONG road, i emphasize - it is LOOOONG. I feel so insecure as the road is dark, long and quiet. Since i had no other choice, i continued walking until i saw a cab and the driver stopped to ask me where do i want to go. He answered me that i just have to keep walking to the middle and i will see it.
So, believing him, I continued my way...
The longer I walked, the darker it became, the quieter the street became and the scarer I am.
Then there is such a patrol car past by, the police asked me 'Hey, how's going?', then without waiting for my answer , they sped off!!!!What for you asked me when you are not waiting for my answer??
Is that the way leaving a girl in the dark walking alone without offering help?
Is that the way leaving a girl in the dark walking alone without offering help?
Standing in the dark, looking back and forward, both are long road in dark.. I'm not sure whether it is just so coincidently or punishing me for watching too much Hong Kong series, when i'm thinking why am i so pitiful, the street lamp suddenly gone off! The area around me suddenly gone dark! wah, just like the scene in the series! luckily it did not rain, or else.... *shake head*
The street is really creepy, no light, no car, no human.. nothing except me and my luggage...
At that moment, i totally understand the helpless feeling of a girl, alone in dark, without friends and family by my side~~~ I miss my friends and families!!!!
Yes, i miss YOU!!
Well, i won't stand there thinking about all these. So i continued my way, though i'm scared and i'm worried, i know i have to go on..
好人有好报!!!
There is an airport staff stopped by her car asking me where do i want to go. Thank goodness, finally someone is here to help me! She told me it was just a few shops away from the place i am. She did offer to fetch me there when she saw my big luggage, but i refused and thank her for her kindness.
Finally, really finally, after i walked for few more minutes, i saw the sign:
I'm so glad and happy when i see this! even happier than i saw the Terminal 2 signboard. I nearly cried out~ so touch man! it was just like a float when i'm drowning..
I went in, registered myself and paid $26 for a night. Money is no longer important considering the what i had gone through in the past 1 hour.
Ya, I walked alone in the super dark and quiet street with my big luggage for 1 hour!!!
Actually there is another thing, when i reached the front door of the backpackers, i nearly fainted!!!!!
Why???
If i could walk from the bus stop i get off the bus earlier, it would just be approximate 10 minutes!!! Shit! I've walked along the whole row of shops which actually i should be walking on the other side~~~ T__T
(I used 10minutes to reach the airport in the morning using the route i found out by myself....)
Haiz~~~~ How could the guard give me a wrong direction? How could he ask me to walk the longer, more precisely much much much much more longer, road to reach such a near place? How could he???? *thunder sound*
It is a horrible experience, i hope it will not happen anymore!! NEVER!!! Please~
26th June 2008
Ok, finally i checked in and board my plane..the journey is 8 and half hours, the flight departed approximately 9am. Guess what? Lunch was served about 11am...Wouldn't it be too early?
This is what i paid for AUD 7:
I realised something later, when i looked through the menu provided, i found this picture:
Big Bruce's BBQ Chicken is exactly the name of my lunch shown on the package! It looks so tasty with a drumstick there, and see what i get:
I'm not the only one who was shocked for that, the Canadian guy sitting next to me said he was shocked to see such big difference too...
I took some pictures before i boarded the plane (actually it is not allowed to do so):
Quite surprised to see Manchester United logo to be printed on Air Asia's plane.
After more than 8 n half hours of flight, finally i reached my dear home country, Malaysia!!!
YEAH!!! I'm back at home!!!!
YEAH!!! I'm back at home!!!!
All the suffers are worthy now!!!
The LCCT, KLIAp/s:
* i would like to thank ck, fish and ang here, for calling me and chat with me...appreciate alot! Thank you guys! (sorry pizza, din tell u cz my roommate 'shh' me when i'm talking, so dare not chat liao...)
** i will never forget wei jien for telling me so firmly that the airport will be opening for 24 hours, 'thanks' a lot too~~
*** this is a long post, thanks for bearing with me, reading the experience.
~jj~
